Shoreditch Trust / Waterhouse Restaurant

Tucked around the corner from Old Street Roundabout, a quiet side street houses Tech City’s newest addition to the work space revolution.

Shoreditch Trust, established in 2000 to provide support to the underprivileged in Hackney’s diverse communities, has just launched the latest in an impressive portfolio of shared and managed offices.

Demand for desk space in Tech City has never been higher. More than 15,000 start-ups were registered in EC1V last year, with a significant number of these utilising the growing number of co-working spaces in and around Silicon Roundabout.

Google Campus alone registered 10,000 new members in the last twelve months. With the scramble for office space on the up, and locations within Tech City at a premium, Shoreditch Trust have been able to harness the explosion to help make a real difference to the lives of Hackney residents.

As a non-profit organisation, Shoreditch Trust use the revenue from property rentals to fund outreach programmes. For years, the charity have been ahead of the Tech City curve, predicting development areas in Shoreditch and securing property that can be tailored to cater to East London’s emerging skill cluster. Their newest addition, based on East Road, already houses a number of exciting tech start-up teams. Here at Shoreditch Office Space, we took some time out from discovering Tech City’s most exciting work spaces to meet Shoreditch Trust.

In their new work space next to Old Street, we were invited to see how new start-ups were helping the charity fund a number of development scheme for Hackney’s youth. The Blue Marble Training Programme, an initiative that began in 2008, offers young people the chance to train for a career in food and hospitality. As well as providing all the necessary skills, Shoreditch Trust also offers the opportunity to practice what is learned in their very own Waterhouse Restaurant.

Set overlooking the canal, the restaurant allows participants to get hands on experience in a working kitchen. Culinary delights are provided throughout the day by beneficiaries of the Blue Marble programme while you enjoy the sleek design of the eco-friendly interior.

Shoreditch Trust is also involved in ‘Hackney Shares’, an exciting new project where the currency is time. Yet another brainchild of the Tech City revolution, ‘Hackney Shares’ is a simple tool that allows participants to unlock the value of expertise, resources and assets by trading what they have for what they need. Credits are given in return for every hour of resource or service offered, and these in turn can be traded for the expertise or assets of another.

The project reflects the ever-growing community of start-ups in Tech City. Underpinning the success of programmes like Blue Marble Training is Shoreditch Trust’s successful work space leasing. Whether you’re looking for ‘hot desking’ opportunities in a vibrant and social atmosphere, or a self-contained office for your growing company, Shoreditch Trust have spaces to suit Tech City’s growing population.

We particularly like the creative space at Adelaide Wharf, sleek lines and stunning surroundings making it extremely popular with Silicon Roundabout newcomers. With market leaders and household names in technology and design flooding into Shoreditch, it is easy to forget organisations like Shoreditch Trust who are working hard to ensure that the benefits of Tech City investment are felt beyond the confines of its direct participants.

Shoreditch Office Space are delighted to work with Shoreditch Trust, helping to fill their exciting work spaces and supporting the fantastic work they do in the community.

Shoreditch Office Space has helped a variety of companies find their ideal work space in and around Tech City. If you would like to learn more about how we can help with your office search, please get in touch [email protected]